Poly(phenylene ether) resin is a type of plastic known for its excellent water resistance, dimensional stability, and inherent flame retardancy. Properties such as strength, stiffness, chemical resistance, and heat resistance can be tailored by blending it with various other plastics in order to meet the requirements of a wide variety of consumer products, for example, plumbing fixtures, electrical boxes, automotive parts, and coated wire.
In order to eliminate the lead content typically present in the brass used to fabricate fluid engineering articles, poly(phenylene ether) compositions have been used as replacements for brass. See, for example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2008/0312371 A1 of Todt et al. There is also a desire to eliminate the monomer butadiene from materials that contact food and water. Many of the poly(phenylene ether) compositions utilized for fluid engineering articles contain rubber-modified polystyrene to improve impact strength. Rubber-modified polystyrene contains polybutadiene, and the poly(phenylene ether) compositions containing rubber-modified polystyrene have small but significant concentrations of free butadiene that can be above the limits of some existing and proposed regulations governing materials contacting food and water.
There is a desire for fluid engineering materials that substantially reduce or eliminate both lead and butadiene. There is also a desire for low-lead and low-butadiene fluid engineering materials that exhibit improved hydrostability relative to known poly(phenylene ether) compositions used for fluid engineering. Moreover, it would be desirable to improve hydrostability without significantly compromising the impact strength associated with poly(phenylene ether) compositions that incorporate polybutadiene-containing impact modifiers.